Cyclotourism events have experienced a boom in recent years. For many cyclists, they are an extra motivation to train with a clear goal, whether it’s with a road bike for long distances on asphalt or with a mountain bike for demanding routes on rough terrain. Each cyclist faces them in their own way, combining the personal challenge with the excitement of riding in a group. If you haven’t participated in one yet, it might be the perfect time to test yourself and enjoy a unique experience on the bike. Here are some recommendations to make your first ride a success.

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Tips for preparing for your first cyclotourism event

A cyclotourism event may not be a carrera in itself, but you’ll surely sign up with the intention of doing your best. Therefore, here are some tips to get the most out of your preparation for that big challenge you’ve already registered for.

Train your endurance

In many cases, cyclotourism events offer different route options, allowing cyclists of very different levels to participate. However, the temptation to complete a gran fondo is always present. Therefore, training your endurance on the bike is fundamental. It’s not just about the effort involved in pedaling for hours and hours, but also about adapting your body to the saddle and the geometry of the bike. Going out for a maximum effort of 20 minutes can help you develop your maximum power and speed, but it’s the longer routes that will allow you to gain endurance. To progress properly and avoid overexertion, many experts recommend increasing your weekly training distance by around 10%.

Train your nutrition

It’s always important to watch your nutrition; especially as you progress and start doing longer routes. We could say that after about two hours of pedaling, the body depletes the glycogen stored in the muscles and liver. To avoid a possible collapse, you’ll need to replenish it by eating and drinking properly. Otherwise, you’ll suffer a bonk and your capacity will quickly collapse. Certainly, cycling events are dotted with refreshment and assistance points along the route that make things easier for you, but you must not lose sight of a fundamental principle: eat before you feel hungry and drink before you are thirsty. At these recharge points, you will have access to a lot of treats, including isotonic drinks and, in the best cases, energy bars and gels. However, do not base your nutrition on these if, in the weeks before the ride, you have not taught your body to assimilate this type of food. It's part of the training.

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Train your climbing ability

It's common for your race number in an event to come with a chip to record your time. In some events, timing is limited to specific sections, especially on climbs. For this reason, you will have to add extra speed to your endurance if you want to test yourself and play at being a cyclist. How do you train for this discipline? During your workouts, focus on doing repeated climbing intervals of 10 to 20 minutes, at the maximum power your body can sustain steadily. The goal is to accumulate time at intensity, so you should only extend the intervals if you can maintain your starting power, without dropping even a bit. Recovery between repetitions should be half the duration of the intervals (for example, 5 minutes of recovery between 10-minute intervals). The key here is to repeat until you can no longer maintain the power or cadence correctly.

Train your power

Although endurance training is important, a cyclist's body is made up of complex systems that supply energy differently to various muscle types. One way to cover all of them is to also train power, staying above your threshold for as long as possible. To translate, this threshold refers to the maximum capacity your body has to sustain a certain exercise intensity for a given time. These intervals allow for multiple gains: more leg strength and greater ease in performing well on any terrain, whatever it may be. Every cyclist is different, and there is no fixed rule for performing these workouts. You will need to analyze where your strengths and weaknesses lie and then fine-tune these intervals. In general, including this work in your training once or twice a week is all you need to see results and avoid exhaustion or injury. If you are someone who rides in company, a simple way to improve your power is to pull the group and push your body. Remember that a cyclist at the front has to generate, on average and to ride at the same speed, 30% more power than the cyclists behind.

Train your explosiveness

While longer uphill intervals are excellent for developing climbing power, you also need the ability to change pace and accelerate. This is important to stay in a group during a long ride. If you develop the power to go above your threshold in a short effort, you will also be building the fitness to recover quickly from those surges. There are a thousand ways to train this ability. For example, you can try 10 repetitions of 2-minute power intervals (at 100% of your maximum capacity), with 2 minutes of recovery between each one, pedaling gently. You will improve your VO2 max (your body’s ability to take oxygen from the air and deliver it to your muscles) and, most importantly, you’ll gain the ability to launch a sprint and recover quickly.

Make up for lack of time

It is likely that the cycling event you sign up for will be your main goal and the carrera longest of the year. It’s also possible that your obligations will prevent you from doing training rides with the same kilometers and duration. That would be ideal, but it’s complicated. One way to compensate for this is to build consecutive training blocks. If you can’t ride for six hours in one day, schedule two consecutive days of 3-4 hours with two full days of recovery or relaxed riding.

Tips for the day of your participation in a cycling event

Once you have done all the work, the moment of truth arrives. Here are some aspects to keep in mind on the day of your debut in a road cycling event.

Preparation

Take time to study the route: where the climbs or timed sections are, how difficult they are, where the feed zones are, etc. Do you need to bring any special food, such as energy gels, bars, or isotonic drinks? What is available at the feed zones? Have everything ready for the day of the carrera: your bike in perfect condition, and clothing for all kinds of weather, which is essential if you’re going to ride in mountainous terrain early in the morning. Bring some essential tools and spare parts. Don’t forget a pump, patches, chain breaker, and spare tubes. Many events have mechanical assistance, but it’s best to be as self-sufficient as possible so that if you have to stop, you can get going again quickly. Finally, plan ahead and avoid rushing to get to the starting point of the ride. These are usually events with a lot of people and vehicles moving in a short period of time. Keep that in mind.

Rest

In the days before the ride, trust your training and avoid the temptation to do a last session to “fine-tune.” It’s better to rest knowing you’ve trained hard and are ready for the challenge. Try to sleep well, although we know the night before this type of event it’s hard to fall asleep quickly, especially when the event is far from home.

Don't start too fast

In every cycling tour, more or less competitive, you will see groups of cyclists ready to go all out from the very beginning in order to join a fast group. Don't fall into the temptation of pushing beyond your limits in the first few kilometers. The excitement and adrenaline can make you overconfident. In that case, you could pay for it before the ride gets really serious. That's where the cards are revealed and each cyclist finds their own pace.

Break the ride into smaller sections

If you have never covered the distance ahead of you, dividing it into smaller parts is a good strategy to make what lies ahead seem less daunting. You can focus, for example, on each segment between aid stations, as if they were small intermediate goals. Any other strategy is valid.

Don't lose sight of the rider in front of you

Cycling events are open to cyclists of all levels and backgrounds. They are not divided into categories. So, assume that the cyclist ahead of you may have less experience riding in a group than you do.

Take it easy

Covering, for example, 160 km with 3,000 m of elevation gain requires that you know your limits well. You won't notice a significant drop in your performance at the beginning, but that's where you can start digging your grave if you don't save energy. On a long ride, it's better to feel like you can push a little harder than to go to your limit. As you accumulate kilometers, you'll go slower because your power will decrease. Therefore, don't give it your all in the first kilometers because you will most likely reach the finish line dragging yourself. Never let yourself be dragged along by a group whose level isn't right for you; with so many participants, you will always find someone who matches your abilities. Besides, a cycling tour is always a good reason to enjoy the scenery, the company of other cyclists, and even the aid stations you'll find along the way. Keep a conservative strategy in your first event of this kind; you'll finish with strong legs and ride better throughout the course.

Eat properly right before the ride

In the days leading up to your first cycling tour, eat normally, adding some extra carbohydrates, but don't overdo it. Spread their intake throughout the day and drink plenty of water. The night before the event, take the opportunity to have a healthy, filling dinner, but not so much that you feel overly full. When you get up for the ride, a good breakfast well before you get on the bike is key to good performance. All the calories will be necessary. Don't forget to stay hydrated either.

Eat and drink properly during the ride
Once you start riding, eat small amounts and often, making sure no more than 30 minutes pass between each intake. If you don't feel comfortable eating on the bike, stop. Some people prefer energy gels, bars, or small sandwiches... The main thing is not to eat anything very different from what you usually consume during your training. This way, your body won't reject it. You should take the same care with drinks. Don't obsess if you see your bottle running low. It's better to hydrate properly and refill it at the next refreshment point, or at a fountain you find along the way. Here too, don't take risks with sports drinks you're not used to, no matter how beneficial they may seem. Your stomach might reject them.

Make the most of the refreshment points

The intermediate refreshment points allow you to refill your bottles and your pockets with food. They are also an opportunity to get off the bike, stretch a bit, take care of your needs... Five minutes here can help you prevent fatigue. These refueling points are usually very tempting, but avoid overdoing it.Slamming on the brakes.

Have a great time

In general, cycling events are very fun routes. Each organization tries to make the most of the area to offer a unique experience to the cycling community. Why not take advantage of it? And if you're into challenging your own limits, each event has more than enough terrain to put your performance to the test. Ultimately, the goal is always to enjoy and complete the ride with dignity.